Review by Booklist Review
You'd think a dragon would have nothing to spread but hot air and terror, but this sweet-tempered book offers a dragon-sized lesson on friendship and open-mindedness. Franklin the dragon adores books and regularly reads to the bats and mice in his book-filled cave. But when he goes to the nearby village to read to people, it's always deserted (a clever double-page spread shows the frightened faces of villagers peering out from shop windows at their hulking visitor). One day, Franklin stumbles upon Luna, a young girl, reading in the woods. They're an instant book club, talking about the stories they love. Together, they hatch a plan to share stories with the villagers by attaching a bookcase and a couch to Franklin's back and turning him into a bookmobile. This book's wonderful resolution suggests that opening up to what may seem scary or strange can actually be life-enhancing. The artwork combining gouache, watercolors, and colored pencils and a variety of double-page spreads and spot illustrations exudes a friendly fairy-tale feel, filled with comic details that young readers will love.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Franklin the dragon loves stories and wants to share them by reading out loud.Franklin reads every day, from King Arthur to baking, spiders to ballet, and everything in between. He even reads at nighttime, by the light of 1,000 fireflies. He is eager to share the stories with the nearby villagers, a diverse population, but they are terrified by his size and run away. That is, all except for one redheaded young white girl who loves both dragons and reading. Franklin has found a kindred spirit. Luna and he come up with a plan to share all the stories they've read. With the help of the mice and bats from Franklin's cave, they build a small, lopsided bookshop atop Franklin's back, and off they fly to the village. Before long, the curious villagers climb up to look at the books. Luna passes out cake while Franklin tells stories and everyone listens. The illustrations have a rustic, folksy feel and sport chalky textures. Franklin often expands beyond the frame, emphasizing his size. Small details in the art and text plump up the story: apron-wearing mice use a mixer to stir a bowl of batter; gi-clad bats practice kung fu. Unfortunately, it's all a little too quirky to cohere, the notion of a flying, dragon-back bookshop just a little too precious and inorganic to the story. Overall, there isn't a lot of spark in this dragon bookmobile. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
